Portable fire-escape.



PATENTBD PEB. 11.19051..

jNo. 878,695.

B. M.- G. WALTER. PORTABLE FIRE ESGAPE.

APPLIGATION' FILED JULY 30,' 1907. Y

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BERNHARD M. C. WALTER, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

PORTABLE FIRE-ESCAPE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 1908.

Application led July 30| 1907. Serial No. 386283.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, BERNHARD M. C. WAL- TER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Fire- Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in portable fire-escapes; and my objects are first, to provide one which may be readily carried from one part of a building to another second, to arrange the upper end of the fire-escape in such manner that it may be readily anchored in various ways, and third,

to provide one that may be rolled up so as to occupy but little space when not in use.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates the invention: Figure 1' shows a broken perspective view ofthe front y portion of a building with my fire-escape in an operative position. Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a broken detail front elevation of the upper portion of the iire-escape. Fig. 4 is a broken side elevation of the upper portion of the lire-escape. Fig. 5 is an enlarged horizontal section on line V-V of Fig. 3.

In carrying out the invention I employ two cables l, connected at their lower ends by a piece 2, and having loops 3 at their upper ends.

4 designates a pairl of snap-hooks secured to loops 3 for a purpose hereinafter described.

5 designates a series of equally-spaced couplings on each cable which are united in pairs by transverse rungs 6. Said couplings are adjustably secured to the rungs by setscrews 7, so that they may be placed proper distances apart and have tubular eXtensions 5 projecting rearwardly therefrom. The couplings are further secured to the cables by tubular stems 8, adjustably engaging the tubular extensions 5a and the cables. v

In practice where a building has two sets of windows arranged close together, as shown in Fig. l, the upper ends of the cables may be placedthrough two of the Windows and secured together by the hooks. This permits a person to pass down the iire-escape without being exposed to flames issuing from one of the lower windows. When the windows are too far apart to anchor the iire-escape in the above described manner, it may be safely anchored by placing a rod 9 through the loops and allowing its ends to abut against theopposite sides of the window frame, as shown in Fig. 2. When the fire-escape is in position the rungs are held far enough from the wall, to permit a person to gain a firm foot-hold thereon, by the rearwardly-extending stems 8, which bear against the wall and not only hold the rungs a suHicient distance therefrom, but greatly add to the stability of the fire-escape by preventing the same from swaying back and forth. When not in use the iire-escape may be rolled into a small bundle, so that it will occupy very little space.

All of the parts are preferably made of metal so as to render the device fire-proof.

Having thus described my invention, what' I claim is A nre-escape consisting of two cables, fastening Adevices at the upper ends thereof, a series of couplings on each cable provided with tubular extensions projecting rearwardly therefrom, rearwardly-extending tubular stems adjustably engaging the couplings and the cables, transverse rungs uniting said couplings in pairs, and set-screws adjustably engaging the couplings and the cables, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

BERNHARD M. C. WALTER.

Witnesses:

F. G. FISCHER, M. Cox. 

